Game apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

E. E. GRAVES. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 19, 1904.

aooooooo ccoo Mm oooooo L ooo ooooonnwowkww ooooowooo ooooolwooooooooooH owoomoo o o o O 0 EUGENE. E GRAVES.

A ilornegl.

PATENT Ollillltlld.

EUGENE E. GRAVES, OE BLACK RIVER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR Oli ON E- HALF TOJOSEPH MARRIAN.

@Alvi E APPAHATMS.

Patented aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed November 19, 1904. Serial No 233,513.

Be it known that l, EUGENE E. GRAVES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Black River, in the county of Jetlerson and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GameApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus, the object of which is toprovidea simple and attractive game device adapted for the amusement andentertainment of adults and children, in the operation of which a g'reatdeal of skill may be displayed, and wherein the player who can see andact the quickest as he carries the details of the game into effect maygain an advantage over an opponent less alert and skilful.

The object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus which isreversible or double in order to Vfacilitate thc playing of the game bytwo persons sittingl at opposite sides of a table, thus avoiding longdelays between the innings of the different contestants, as well as toobviate the necessity of shifting the board from one to the other or ofthe contestants changing places at each turn in the playing.

The invention embodies, essentially, a base or gaine board, preferablyrectangular in form, having' combined therewith a series of obstructionsand defieeting elements which inliuenee the movements or course oftravel of a series of rolling elements, such as balls, together with apivoted member in the nature of a gate or door centrally disposed ateach end of said base or board and adapted to be operated by the playersfor the purpose of directing or separating' the gravitating elementsinto certain pens or yards, forming terminal receiving-compartmentstherefor. 'lhe base or board is mounted upon a pair of legs or rockersattached to the under side of the board substantially midway of thelength and near the outer edges of the board in such manner that theboard may be tilted or adjusted by the players from either end, therebygiving' said board a suitable angle or inclination to cause the rollingelements to gravitate or rapidly move from one end o'l'l the boardthrough or over the obstructions and deiiecters to the other end, atwhich the player is to exert his skill in dividing' and eorralling themin their respective pens or yards.

The invention further consists of a series of pens or inclosures at eachend of the board,

each of which has a small gap or opening 'for the purpose of admitting'a stray animal or ball, and thus preventing the player from core railingand counting' such stray piece.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature oi' which will morefully appear as the description proceeds. the invention consists in thenovel constructions, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, shown in the drawings, and set forth in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication,Figure l is a plan View of the game apparatus einbodying my invention.Fig'. i2 is a central longitudinal section through Fig. l, showing themanner of inclining the board and also the'manner of attaching the legsor rockers. llfig. 3 is a side elevation showing the inclination of theboard in the reverse direction. Fig. 4l is an enlarged detail view ofthe pivoted gate. Eig. 5 is plan view of the apparatus with a portionbroken away, illustrating a slight modilication.

Similar reference-numbers represent corresponding parts throughout theseveral lig uros.

ln the drawings, l represents a base or board which is rectangular inform and of even width throughout its length. 'lhe board 1 is surroundedby a fence 2, which consists of a flange extending' upward from theupper surface of the board and serving as an el'ii'ect ive means ofretaining the series of rolling members 3 and et, representing animals,preferably in the 'form of balls or marbles, in place on the board andpreventingl accidental escape. At each corner of the board the fence 2meets the fences or flanges 5 of the small inclosures 6 and 7, which forthe purpose of describing the game may be termed lields or pasturesf inwhich the balls 3 and 4, which represent sheep and goats, are primarilyplaced. l/Vhen the board is tilted for the purpose of playing the gaine,the inclosures f5 and Y at the lower end of the board are termed"corralsor pens lheinclosures 6 and 7 are separated by a Yfence or'flange 8 and communicate with the main lield or wooded tractin themiddle of the board by means of a central and common dischargethroat 9.The partition fence or llange 8 does not extend to the throatv), andtherefore the balls 3 and 4 must pass through the nar- 'adapted to becorralled.

row gaps or spaces 10 as they roll toward the main field. To the fencesor flanges 5 are joined the fianges or guides 11, which extend in anangular line toward the surrounding fence 2, together with which thefences 5 and 11 form the triangularinclosures Yor dens 12. Between theouter ends of the flanges or guides 11 and the fence 2 is provided a gap13 large enough for one of the balls or rolling elements to freely passthrough into the said inclosures 12, into which an occasional ball willstray and become separated from the rest of the fiock.

Nearly all of the surface ofl the main field llfin the central portionof the board between the oppositely-disposed fences or flanges 11 isstudded over with a plurality of obstructions 23, preferably in the formof pins, the same being intended to 'represent a wooded tract or field,the pins being the trees, across and through which the balls,representing' animals, are obliged to travel from the pastures at thetop or upper end of the board to the yards or pens at the lower end,into which they are to be corralled for safe keeping. These pins areplaced on the board,so as to be encountered by the balls immediatelyafter they pass through the central dischargethroat 9, and as the ballsstrike against the pins they are deflected in diierent directions, andtheir progress is therefore impeded. The spaces between the several pinsare wide enough to admit of the free passage of the balls. ln this mainfield or wooded tract I have shown a series of open or clear spaces 24,from which the pins have been omitted, the object in providing theseopen or unobstructed spaces or areas being to accelerate the travelofthe rolling elements which chance to pass over said portions of theboard or main field and cause them to reach the corralling-pens at thelower or farther end of the board in less time than the balls which taketheir course of' travel through the central portion of the board, wherethe pins or trees are more thickly and evenly set. By this means theplayer is required to exercise more alertness and dexterity in order toeffect the separation of the different kinds of balls or animals and thecorralling of them in their respective pens or yards. As a result of'the employment of the latter feature the ball first to emerge from apasture through throat 9 is frequently the last to reach the finalcorralling-pen.

The fence or Hange 8, which extends longitudinally of the board at cachend in connection with the end portions of the outer fence 2 and thefences or flanges 5, forms the pens or inclosures 6 and 7, in which theballs are Balls of different color or other distinguishingcharacteristics are employedas`I for instance, white balls or marblesare used to represent sheep, while the colored or striped ballsrepresent goats,

said balls being represented, respectively, by the numerals 3 and 4. Theobject in providing the two pens or inclosures 6 and 7 at each end ofthe board being` for the purpose of receiving the white and coloredballs, respectively, representing sheep and goats, the division fence orflange 8 is placed at right angles to the outer fence 2 substantially inthe center of the board and extends to a point near the entering spaceor throat 9, which is formed by the convergent inner ends of' theflanges or fences 5 and 1l. The division-fence 8 and the fences 5 formthe gaps or spaces 10, through which the balls or animals may pass toand from the final pens or yards 6 and 7. Between the inner ends of thefences 8 and the fences 5 is arranged the pivoted member or part 15,forming a swinging gate or door, adapted to open or close one at a timethe gaps or spaces 10. This gate 15 in its preferred form is providedwith a single wing 16 of a length substantially that of the spaces 10,and when placed'in position it extends slightly above thefencesS and 5.beror gate 15 is preferably pivoted to the inner end of division-fence 8by means of the screw or pin 17 and is provided with alongitudinally-projecting handle or stem 18, which is made long enoughto extend out over the end of the board to enable the operator to freelyand rapidly operate said gate without interference with the fences 2 and8. The construction of the pivoted member 15 may be varied from thatherein described and shown; but the present form has proved to be themost practicable, and is therefore preferred.

Instead of the open or clear spaces 24 shown in the main or wooded fieldand described above 1 may prefer to employ a series of deflectingflanges 24', laid flat or set on edge for the purpose of retarding orvarying the course of travel of the roll-ing elements. These deflectingmembers may consist of narrOWstrips of wood orothersuitable material seton edge the same as the other fences or flanges, or they may consist ofthin fiat pieces, over which the animals may leap instead of beingdeflected or guided by them.

1n order to make the game interesting,1 have found it important to formthe spaces or gaps 10 with some care. If they are made just wide enoughfor one ball to pass through freely, the whole group or flock willbecome clogged at this opening, and it is difficult to4 dislodge orstart them. I have accordingly regulated the width of said gaps, so thatit is slightly less than the diameters of two balls, and by this meanswhen the player places the balls in the pens at the opposite end of theboard and inclines the board toward him the balls will all rush for thegaps 10, and while in mostinstances they clog and block the passages 10yet by slightly jarring or shaking the board a part ifI not all of theballs vwill This movable memroll out into the main iield and thencetoward the final receiving-pens.

The pivoted members or gates 15 are preferably made so that they arereadily detachable. This is done so that in case one gate should becomelost or broken the game may be played from either end of the board bysimply shifting the one gate. lf two gates are employed at the sametime, the opposite player or the individual player can regulate thepassage or exit of the balls from the upper end of the board by swingingthe gate back and forth while the other player (or himself) is eng'agedin manipulating the gate at the lower end of the board in his efforts toseparate and corral the balls as they arrive at the entrance to theiinal pens.

fln order to play consecutive innings of the game either by one personor alternately by two or more persons without reversing the board, apair of legs or rocking members 20 are provided. These members arecapable of being' attached to or detached from the board by means of thedowel-pin 2l, the latter being inserted into the hole 22, which passesthrough the base of the board l substantially in the middle and near theouter sides of the board, as shown in Figs. l1, and 2 of the drawings.It will be seen that by this arrangement of the legs 2O the board may betilted or inclined toward either end at an angle which will cause theballs to roll or gravitate the whole length of the board withoutrequiring to be touched by a player to urge them on. Vhen the balls oranimals have all been corralled in their respective pens or yards at thelower end of the board, the same player or another person engaged in thegame may tilt the board in the opposite direction, and the rollingelements will then roll the other way, and by using the gate pivoted atthe other end of the board the player may try his skill at separating'and corralling the homecoming' animals, as described. lf only one personis playing' the game, the hoard may be shifted end for end, allowing itto partially revolve upon the legs 520, and then tilted and played, asjust explained. If a lone player prefers, he may gather the balls fromthe lower pens and return them by hand to the upper fields and play thesucceeding innings withoutreversing the board. ln experimentin with mygame apparatus it has been found that the angle of inclination of theboard should be about fifteen to twenty degrees in order to make thegame interesting. lt is obvious that other forms of legs or ineliningmeans may be employed to accomplish the desired results; but l prefer touse the form described and shown herein.

ln playing the game the main object is to catch the white and coloredballs, representing sheep and goats, respectively, and by means of thepivoted gate or member direct the balls into their respective pens. Eachplayer takes his turn in regular order until they have all had agivennumber of innings. The player corralling the largest numberiof white andcolored halls in their respective pens makes the largest score and winsthe game, the balls corralled in the several innings being' added toobtain the final score. The marbles or balls which by accident escape orroll into the triangular pens 12 by passing through the gaps or spaces13, which areintended to represent wolf-dens orsimilar unsafe places,are to be regarded as penalties in the game, and each one so escaping orstraying is to be counted as so many points against the player losingthe same. Before beginning the game the players may arrange among'themselves as to what the penal number or value of the stray balls shallbe.

Balls of several colors, representing' as many dili'erent animals orpoints, may be employed` and a variety of scoring values may be assignedto the several colors and by such arrangement make tlie game moreinteresting; but the preferred embodiment of the game is as hereindescribed.

1t will be seen by reference to the drawings and from the foregoing'description of the game that there is room for considerable skill anddexterity in manipulating the pivoted member or gate in order tosuccessfully separate and corral the different balls into theirrespective pens or yards. In order to handicap a skilful player, theinclination of the board may be increased to any desired eX- tent, andthus give all of the players an equal chance.

ln order to separate and spread the balls immediately after they leavethe corrals or pens, the pins or deflecting elements 23 at each end ofthe main field or wooded tract la are arranged in converging rows, inwhich the pin forming the apex is placed directly in front of andcentral with the dischargethroat 9. lhen the balls roll out of the pens,they impinge against the pins and are deflected in different directions.This results in the scattering and mixing' of the balls of differentkinds before they are acted upon and causes them to make many zigzagmovements in their travel through the wooded field, thus tending tovexcite the player and make it more difficult for hun to successfullycorral the animals by use of the pivoted gate.

.il do not desire to be limited to the details of construction andarrangement herein set forth, and accordingly reserve the right tochange, modify, and vary the construction within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isw

l. A game apparatus comprising a board having centrally-disposedsupporting means to render the board inclinable toward either end,surrounding fences projecting above the face of said board, a series ofrolling elements adapted to traverse said board when inclined in anydirection, a series of obstructions and deflecting elements on the upperside of said board, against which said rolling elements impinge,separate pens at each end of' the board, and a pivoted gate or cut-ofi'member so disposed as to be manipulated at will to divert said rollingelements into separate lyards or pens at one end of said board,substantially as shown and described.

2. A game apparatus, comprising a board capable of being' tilted orinclined toward either end, a surrounding fence, a series of pens ateach end of the board communicating' with a common central inclosure, aseries of rolling elements, a plurality of obstructing and deflectingelements arranged upon the su rface of said central inclosure, againstwhich said rolling elements are adapted to impinge, and a pivoted memberoperable by hand for diverting the rolling elements into differentreceiving-pens, substantially as shown and described.

A game apparatus, comprising an inclined board surrounded by anupwardly-extending fence or flange, a pair of pens at each end of' theboard communicatimgl by means of a central opening or throat with themain field, a plurality of rollingl elements representing two or morekinds of animals. a series of deflecting and obstructing elementsarranged within said main field, against which the rolling elements areadapted to impinge as they gravifate along the surface of said board, apivoted gate or door adapted to open or close the entrance from the mainfield to either of said pens, and thereby divert said rolling elementsinto their respective pens, substantially as described.

4l. A game apparatus, comprising a board with a surrounding fence, aseries of legs or rocker elements adapted for inclining said board inOpposite directions, a group or grou ps of obstructing elements fixedupon the upper surface of said board, a series of rollingl elementsadapted to impinge against, and to be deflected by said obstructingelements, separate yards or pens at each end of' said board, a maininclosure or field between said yards or pens, convergent corrallingfences ar ranged at each end of the main inclosure, discharge orentrance throats formed by the inner ends of said convergent fencesthrough which said rolling elements may pass, pivoted members or gatesso disposed as to be adapted to admit or release said rolling elementsto and from the end pens, and a series of yards or dens adapted toreceive or entrap a straying member of said rolling elements,substantially as shown and described;

i l l 5. A game apparatus, comprising a board adapted to be inclinedtoward either of its two ends, a surrounding fence, a` double inclosureat each end of said board, the inclosures at the upper end representingseparate pastures for different kinds of animals, and the inclosures atthe lower end representing corrals or pens for receiving the animalswhen they come home, a series of rolling elements representing animals,a main or central field provided with fiXed obstructions representingtrees, adapted to scatter and retard said rolling elements as theytraverse said field, a pivoted member or gate so disposed relatively tothe corrals or pens as to be adapted to be operated by hand fordiverting the rolling elements into their respective corrals or pens,substantially as shown and described.

6. A game apparatus, comprising a board with a surrounding upwardlyprojecting fence, rolling elements adapted to traverse the board,obstacles arranged in the paths traversed by the rolling elements, meansfor inclining said board in opposite directions and thereby causing saidrolling elements to gravitate from the upper to the lower end of saidboard, inclosures at each end of the board, convergent corralling-fencesseparating the said inclosures from a central field, and a pivotedmember constituting a gate interposed between the inner ends of thecorralling-fences and comprisinga blade or wing, and an operatinghandle, substantially as shown and described.

7. A game apparatus, comprising a rectangular board with a surrounding'fence, means comprising a pair of unyielding legs for inclining saidboard toward either end thereof, inclosures representing pastures at theupper end and pens at the lower end of said board, a main fieldrepresenting a wooded tract between said pastures and said pens, aplurality of obstructions arranged upon the surface of said field ortract, rolling elements adapted to traverse the board, and to impingeagainst said obstructions, triangular denshaving narrow openingscommunicating with said main field or tract, and adapted to receive andentrap the rolling elements when they stray from their course, andpivoted members to be operated by hand for directing the rollingelements into their respective pens, substantially as shown anddescribed.

8. Agame apparatus of the class described, the combination with arectangular base or board having a surrounding fence, of a pair ofunyielding supporting-legs adapted for inclining said board towardeither end, convergent corralling and dividing fences at or near eachend of the board, pens or fields at the opposite extremes of said board,rolling elements adapted to gravitate from the fields at the upper end,to the receiving-pens at the lower end of Said board, obstacles arrangedreeting'tberollingelementsinto sepnratepens, between smal lelcls andpens adapted to clelect substantially as shown and clescr1bed.

and vary tbe course of tbe rolling` elements, In testimony whereof Iallx my Signature in it pivoted member at the upper end ol tbe presenceof two witnesses.

board adapted to be operated by hand to regu- EUGENE E. GRAVES lato theegress of the rolling' elements, and a VVtnesses:

like pvoted member at the lower end of the EDGAR D. BLooDoUoH,

board. adapted to be operated by hand for di- HARRY DE VALLAom.

